Riding Vocabulary

During the course of our training and on the journey itself Fred and I have spent a lot of time together, on the roads of both England and America.  With little to do other than talk this has led to us creating an ever expanding list of new words and expressions.  Some of these terms are useful verbal shortcuts, some describe notions or concepts that ordinary language would struggle to convey, most are very silly and somewhat surreal.  Below is a small selection:

• CSBs – Clif Shot Blocks, our vital energy source.
• Gades – Gatorades, our drink of choice.
• Two-miler – Consistent requirement to use the open air facilities shortly after getting underway from a stop
• Foot down – Stop limited to the consumption of confectionary and sodas.
• Greta – Our ever reliable Garmin GPS device.
• FredFred – Fred’s alternative GPS device, otherwise known as his sometimes dubious sense of direction.
• Tinnies Tinnies Tinnies Tinnies – Chant in the final miles of each day, signalling the nearing of a celebratory beer
• Bumble Strip / David Lloyds – Rumble strips; potentially very dangerous for the unwary.
• Biebers – Bibshorts, sported exclusively by Parkes.
• Breakfast Proud – A state of being that involves no shame in eating excessive amounts at a buffet breakfast, in front of other more conservative hotel guests.
• La Cucaracha – Successful height gain of 1,000 feet
• Stuck in Wiggo – Setting off from a stop in an inappropriately high gear.
• Riding Westwood – Riding in the Big Cog (Two Wheels and Frame)
• Bobcoggin Damage – Mechanical issues with the bikes that were beyond the realm of our basic understanding of maintenance.
• “Badger!” – our code word for danger.

We also both enjoyed a series of adverts for Dos Equis beer, featuring “The Most Interesting Man in the World”.  Sharks hold a festival in his honour.